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– We are definitely in a township with an outbreak, and we are absolutely red as blood, says Acting Mayor of Vindafjord Tove Elise Madland.
His municipality, and the neighboring municipality of Etne, on the county border between Rogaland and Vestland, are now two of the municipalities in the country with the most infections per capita. And today there was the first crown-related death in Vindafjord.
– Is seriously. It is now important for municipalities to properly monitor infections, have good testing capacity and get an overview, says Preben Aavitsland, chief physician at the National Institute of Public Health.
The sports team has closed
Municipalities with relatively few inhabitants have now closed nursing homes and visitor care centers, schools and kindergartens are being operated at yellow and red levels and several large companies are affected.
Experience shows that it can be profitable to strike hard immediately and instead have the tight measures in place in no time, says FHI’s Aavitsland.
In addition, the sports team has closed all activity, on the recommendation of the town councils. Several hundred children are affected.
– In a situation like this, we do what we can. But we know that sports are important to our children, so we have started a study to map what this means for the individual, says Siv Iren Børve Heddeland, a member of the Ølen sports club.
She herself has been diagnosed with coronary heart disease and is now isolated at home.
The measure is stricter than that of Oslo, where children of primary school age can play grassroots sports.
– dramatically high numbers
In the last 14 days, about 80 people have been infected in the two neighboring municipalities.
42 of them are in Etne, which has the highest per capita infection rate.
– We have not been able to reduce the number of cases of infection. There are new positive samples every day and the infection rate is dramatically high relative to the population, says Mette Heidi Bergsvåg Ekrheim, Mayor of Etne.
In most cases, however, they now know a route of transmission. It also commends the efforts of citizens.
– People are very good at complying with the measures. They stay home and keep their distance when they are away. People are good at having few close contacts, he says.
Aavitsland at FHI also believes they will be able to do this.
– Large resources were required over a period, but the experience of many other municipalities is that they quickly get caught up in when they do the right things. We are ready to guide if necessary, he says.